HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO OFFER FREE MEASLES VACCINESJoin us on September 11th for a free vaccine education awareness event in Pomona

NEW CITY, NY - - Do you and your family have all the recommended immunizations (shots, vaccines) you need to help prevent many diseases that could result in serious health problems? With school starting, Rockland County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert reminds residents of the importance of getting vaccinated. "Vaccines not only help protect you and your family, but also help protect entire communities, especially those who cannot get vaccinated because they are too young or have specific health conditions, by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases like the flu, measles and pertussis (whooping cough)," said Dr. Ruppert.

Beginning this school year, nonmedical exemptions to school vaccination requirements have ended for children attending day care and pre-K through 12th grade in New York State. This includes all public, private, and religious schools. Religious exemptions are no longer allowed. For more information about the NYS exemption, visit https://preview.tinyurl.com/yy3lnvca. In an effort to assist families obtain the required vaccinations, the RCDOH is continuing to hold daily MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) clinics, offering residents help at one of our immunization clinics, and will be holding a vaccine education and awareness event on September 11.

On Wednesday, September 11, 2019, the Rockland County Department of Health will be holding a free vaccine education and awareness event at the Yeager Health Complex located at 50 Sanatorium Road, Building A Lobby, in Pomona, NY (10970) from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Registered nurses will be available to answer questions about vaccines, vaccine safety, review your vaccine documents, and schedule "catch up" vaccine appointments to give any shots you are missing. At this event, the public can get the MMR vaccine and/or Flu vaccine, no appointment needed.

Free MMR vaccines are also available at the Rockland County Department of Health, Building A, second floor clinic area, located at 50 Sanatorium Road in Pomona at the following dates and times during the month of September. No appointments are needed except for evening appointments. Call 845-364-2534 Monday-Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm to schedule an evening appointment.

The Health Department also offers clinics where residents of all ages can get their shots, such as the Flu Clinic, Child Immunization Clinic, and Adult Immunization Clinic (for eligible patients). To make an appointment at one of our immunization clinics, or for more information, call (845) 364-2497.

"We are offering multiple opportunities for residents to get free MMR vaccinations," said Dr. Ruppert. Since the outbreak began in October 2018, there are 312 confirmed reported cases of measles in the county and the Health Department together with partners such as Refuah Health Center and private pediatricians and family doctors have administered 28,149 doses of MMR vaccine.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on earth; 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the virus become infected. You can catch measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, up to 2 hours after that person is gone. You can catch measles from an infected person even before they have a measles rash. Due to Rockland County's small geographic size, exposure to the measles may occur anywhere in Rockland.

The Health Department is actively working to contain the further spread of measles. If you are ill with a fever, rash, or conjunctivitis (red watery eyes), please help protect our community - stay home, do not have visitors, and do not go out in public. If you have symptoms consistent with measles, contact your health care provider, a local clinic, or a local emergency department before going for care. This will help prevent others at these facilities from being exposed to the illness.

The Health Department is asking all health care providers to immediately report all cases of suspect measles to the Rockland County Department of Health Communicable Disease Program staff by calling (845) 364-2997 during normal business hours, or (845) 364-8600 after hours/weekends. Health Care Providers can also call this number for additional information.

Residents can get more information about measles by visiting Rockland County Department of Health's measles webpage at https://bit.ly/2zh4v1G and the New York State Department of Health measles webpage at https://on.ny.gov/2J543b5, and by calling the New York State Department of Health toll free Measles Information Line at (888) 364-4837.